


Happy Holidays from the Washingtons

by masterroadtripper



Series: Outshine the Morning Sun [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Disability, Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Christmas Fluff, Deaf Character (minor), Disabled Character, Epilepsy (minor), F/M, Invisible Lams (it exists but its not talked about), M/M, Paralysis (minor), Past Child Abuse, Physical Disability, Recovery, Washingdad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21879649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masterroadtripper/pseuds/masterroadtripper
Summary: Happy Holidays from the Washingtons, who have been a family of six for ten months.  Cue Alex's first Christmas with the Washingtons and all the feelings that go along with it.
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, George Washington/Martha Washington
Series: Outshine the Morning Sun [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576183
Comments: 2
Kudos: 77





	Happy Holidays from the Washingtons

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place 10 months after How Can I Be Enough.

Love Actually was playing on the television in the movie room and Alex was desperately trying to follow along, though was failing miserably. He figured it was one of those movies that you have to watch a couple of times to really catch the plot elements, but this first viewing was not really contributing to his understanding of the film. It would probably help if he didn’t keep getting into his own head and letting his thoughts wander.

When was the last time he had a Christmas like this one? Never before was one this extravagant, with a real tree and everything. They had bought it from Lowes in town about a week ago, all the boys piling into the van with George. Herc explained that as much as they thought it would be cool to go tree chopping, the logistics of that with four disabled children were nearly impossible. Lowes worked better. Then, they spent the better part of an hour trying to decide which tree in the massive storage area would be the best for the space they had to work with in the house.

The tree was tied to the roof of the van and brought back to the house to expand from how it was tied up with twine. Martha watered it and gave it some plant food, letting it sit overnight. The next morning they decorated it with lights, garland and various ornaments. Each ornament felt unique, like it had a story behind it and Alex had felt his stomach sink a little. He had no history with this family. The thought took him by surprise, he hadn’t caught himself thinking that way in a couple of weeks. It quickly passed though, when Martha handed him a little wrapped package. It was a box, big enough to fit in the palms of both of his hands and was wrapped in paper with little red snowmen.

“You can open it now Alex,” Martha had told him. Alex just smiled and sat down on the couch, releasing his arms and hands from the crutches to eagerly tear at the paper. Inside was a white box, which Alex just stared at, overwhelmed with emotion. His first Christmas present in years.

“See what’s inside Alex,” Martha encouraged. Opening the box, Alex saw two ornaments. One was an “A,” roughly the size of the palm of one of his hands. It was shiny silver-coloured and was inlaid in the shape of a Christmas tree. The other one was a round glass ball. Inside the ball was a little picture frame containing two pictures. One side was the picture of him from his foster care file - malnourished and exhausted with his shaggy hair - and the other was his school picture from this year - smile bright, eyes shining and hair neatly parted and brushed. The change was startling and he felt a tear slip down his cheek.

He belonged. He really belonged.

He had hung the ornaments on the tree, the ball off a light and the A off a branch. Every day since, he’d caught himself staring at them every time he walked by, unable to believe it was real, what he was seeing.

The day after they did the tree, John and George had set up an entire Christmas village display on the mantle above the fireplace, complete with a little working train chugging its way through the town. They’d made cookies of all types that day as well. Shortbread, gingerbread, magic bar, mint brownies, candy cane fudge - Alex couldn’t believe the collection of recipes just for Christmas that Martha had.

The next day, Martha had bought Alex a Santa hat to match everyone else’s. It was soft and felt heavenly on his fingers. He wore it anytime he possibly could, though left it at home when they all had to go to school during the last week.

Now it was Christmas Eve and they were all sitting on the couch, swaddled in blankets, warm sweaters, Santa hats and drinking hot chocolate. Closing his eyes, Alex tried to savour the moment of knowing that nothing could possibly go wrong. He was safe. George would protect him, he’d proven that. But the other boys too, they had watched Alex’s back the entire time and Martha had always been around to listen or patch up his wounds when he would get into fights at school. He was safe and he believed it.

That night, they all sat on George and Martha’s bed for The Night Before Christmas to be read. Herc explained that it was okay to sit on their bed and that George loved this tradition more than any of the others. So Alex perched himself on the edge near the footboard and listened as George’s deep voice swirled through the room, reading the story from a small, cardboard-cover-bound book. He realized a couple of pages in that his father used to read him and James that book - actually, it was Era La Víspera de Navidad, the Spanish version - to them before he left. Alex wondered whatever happened to that book between when their father left and the hurricane. Deciding not to dwell on it, Alex listened to George reading, his voice telling the story almost as much as his words did.

When the book was finished, Laf, Herc and John said good night to Martha and George and all left to their rooms.

Alex stayed behind just briefly and said, “I don’t know why you chose me, but I’m glad you did.”

“Oh Alex,” Martha said, “We saw life in your eyes, regardless of what all the words said about you.”

“We’re glad to have you here with us Alex,” George added, “As long as you want us, you have a family.”

Tears running down his face, Alex stood gingerly from the end of the bed and stumbled forward, locking his knees as best as he could and wrapped his arms around George. He could feel the older man holding his breath, as if he was scared of scaring Alex away. Eventually, he felt George’s arms wrap around him and he tucked his face deeper into his chest.

“Thank you,” Alex said through his tears, “Thank you so much.”

**Author's Note:**

> For those who celebrate, Merry early Christmas! If you don't celebrate, Happy Holidays and/or happy break from school! 
> 
> If you've been following How Can I Be Enough, this is your chapter for the week. Don't worry, I'm still working on that one to finish the story, just doing this as a little ficlet :). 
> 
> If you're getting into the Holiday spirit with fanfic, may I recommend you stay posted on my account...have a couple of others coming around soon for some of the other fandoms I write in :)
> 
> ~~Chapter Notes~~  
> 1) All the traditions are ones that my family does (the tree, the village, the cookies, Love Actually)  
> 2) The Night Before Christmas, my 'George' reads it to us every Christmas Eve and it's a Little Golden Book version from when he was a kid (cardboard cover and all)


End file.
